Recommendations presented to the Ministry of Health during the imPACT Review conducted by the IAEA, WHO and IARC in 2013 served as a reference for the meeting's discussions. (Photo: ISA)
Convening key players
In March, the IAEA convened a two-day virtual meeting with several Tunisian participants, including Ministry of Health and other government representatives, cancer control stakeholders, the nuclear regulatory authority, and international experts. The objective was to assess the achievements of cancer control in the country, including through the implementation of recent projects under the IAEA technical cooperation programme in diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy and medical physics, and plan a strategy for the future. Tunisia’s 2022-2023 Technical Cooperation projects were discussed, as were inputs for the 2021-2026 Country Programme Framework.
“Cancer is the second cause of mortality in Tunisia,” said Noomene Elkadri, Director at the Ministry of Health, “and this consultation informed the ongoing development of the national health agenda and shape the new national cancer control programme. This consultation is also important to define the future priority areas of IAEA technical cooperation projects, such as the need to procure new state-of-the-art equipment, increase access to radiotherapy services, and strengthen the training of human resources.”
The meeting offered a rare opportunity to gather counterparts, stakeholders and partners from the national, regional and international levels to consider an integrated and inclusive approach in the implementation of a cancer control strategy in Tunisia.
This collaborative effort also contributed to leverage the complementary nature and linkage between policy and cancer control projects, and to harmonise radiation medicine and related safety and security considerations with the national health agenda.
imPACT Review recommendations
During the meeting, recommendations presented to the Ministry of Health during the imPACT Review conducted by the IAEA, WHO and IARC in 2013 also served as a reference for the discussion of major on-going national cancer control programmes, government strategies, and partner support. The recommendations included strengthening the national cancer registry, increasing equitable access to radiation medicine, and developing a national strategy for breast and colorectum cancer screening.
In light of the strengthened collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) – part of the WHO-IAEA Joint Programme on Cancer Control – time was dedicated during the webinar for technical and scientific officers to discuss progress, priorities, and gaps across the cancer control continuum with counterparts at the Ministry of Health. Together, they worked to identify synergies with IAEA projects in nuclear and radiation medicine.
“The fight against cancer is paramount in Tunisia, considering that there are approximately 18 000 new cancer cases each year. The IAEA, IARC and WHO’s coordinated efforts are essential to reduce the burden of the disease,” said Yves Souteyrand, WHO’s Representative in Tunisia. “WHO assisted Tunisia in the development of its non-communicable diseases strategy, which includes cancer, and is currently providing support to elaborate the operational plan.”
